vietnam

his eyes
dark and shining
saw the world through the lenses
of orbs
which had seen things
no one should ever see
describing them
would bring them no justice

coming home
after watching
pieces
of bodies and minds
broken and then
scattered
(careless afterthoughts)
to meet only shame

(the cause, they said, was obviously
more important: the facts merely inconvenient
why recognize pain? it will only
bring about weak emotion,
an obvious crack in our argument)

the colors of the flag painted across his heart
in perverse testimony
to the soul he had given
for what?

"honor,"he said,"the purity of the soul's content"
things
which had been burned at night
like a book
or a prisoner